The Latest News on Digital Workplaces, British Expats and Pro-immigration Brexit Britain
World
Will digital and physical workplaces coexist post COVID-19?
A new study by Verizon suggests 61 percent of business leaders reported that the quality of remote work was on par as that conducted in the physical workplace
Verizon Business’s new report, “Recreating Work as a Blend of Virtual and Physical Experiences”, examines the impact of the recent growth in remote work and discusses key areas that business leaders should focus on in helping their organization adapt to new ways of working. The report, co-produced by Harvard Business Review, is based on feedback from 1080 global business leaders.
“The global pandemic accelerated this move to a digital working environment and business leaders need to use the lessons of the present to future-ready their organizations,” comments Sampath Sowmyanarayan, President of Global Enterprise, Verizon Business. “Seeing how their network, security and employee collaboration systems have operated during the pandemic should provide the blueprint for the road ahead. By acting now, they can capture the needs of employees and customers and create alignment across the organization as they pivot toward the new normal.”
86 percent of companies surveyed believe digital workspace will coexist with physical workspace in the future, with 78 percent expecting an increase in remote work done. This increase does not mean that everyone will work from home in the future. Rather, organizations will be able to choose which types of work and which people will require a physical presence, as well as where the company can increase efficiency and productivity through virtual work.
This new understanding is the result of successful experiences during the early days of the pandemic. 61% of business leaders reported that the quality of teleworking was at the same level as in the workplace. The benefits of working remotely were also evident: 52% noted improved collaboration; 57 percent saw increased business agility and nearly half saw productivity gains (44 percent).
Read more on www.peoplematters.in
UK; EU; Brexit
British expats are denied banking as Brexit passports set to end
British banks, including Lloyds, Barclays and Coutts, have begun sending letters to expatriates warning them of the imminent deadline
British expats living in Europe are going to join the mass of unbankables due to Brexit financial rules as the UK leaves the European Union.
If politicians on both sides of The Channel are unable to negotiate an agreement allowing British banks to operate in the EU, tens of thousands of expats will have their bank accounts and credit cards closed at 23:00 on 31 December.
It is then that the UK’s transition period under the Brexit Agreement ends, and the country officially severs ties with the EU.
Brexit deadline approaching
And if foreign banks don’t come to the rescue, tens of thousands of expats won’t have access to cash or cards as the Brexit clock expires.
British banks, including Lloyds, Barclays and Coutts, have begun sending letters to expatriates warning them of the imminent deadline.
This step marks the end of the ‘passporting’ of banks. Passport rules allow a licensed bank based in one European Economic Area (EEA) country to offer services in other EEA countries as if a license were granted there.
Since January 1, British banks have been deprived of this right, and in order to continue trading in the EEA, they must apply for a license in each country where they provide services.
Is Brexit Britain pro-immigration and what does it mean for business?
We have gone from one of the most negative countries in Europe regarding immigration to one of the most positive countries
A month before the June 2016 referendum, which was supposed to lead to the UK’s exit from the European Union, Ipsos Mori’s ‘Issues Index’ showed that 49% of those willing to vote to “leave” identified their most pressing problem as related to the number of immigrants arriving in the UK. All other questions lagged 15 or more points behind this single problem.
This summer, unsurprisingly, the Covid-19 pandemic dominated the Issues Index. But the surprise was the following issues: economy, Brexit, race relations, health care, poverty, education, unemployment, environment and crime, with immigration – so often on the list in previous years – not even mentioned in the top 10.
The fact is that with the end of the Brexit transition period approaching, Britain’s long-standing prejudices against legal immigration have all but disappeared.“We have gone from one of the most negative countries in Europe regarding immigration to one of the most positive countries”, said Bobby Duffy, Professor of Public Policy and Director at the Policy Institute at King’s College London.
Covid-19 boosts support for UK immigration
The Covid-19 outbreak in recent months has contributed much to increased support for immigration, with media highlighting the extent to which health and social protection systems rely on the skills and dedication of workers from abroad. What’s more, lighting has often focused on other areas – from driving trucks to collecting agricultural produce – where foreign workers play such an important role.
In a poll this summer held by the Open Democracy think-thank, 72% of ‘leave’ voters – those likely to be skeptical about the benefits of immigration – supported the proposal of automatic British citizenship to National Health Service doctors and nurses. More surprisingly, perhaps more than half also supported automatic citizenship for caregivers, and about 40% also believed that it should be offered to delivery drivers, supermarket staff, and farm workers.
Read more on www.relocatemagazine.com
Want to know more, Read here about our Tax Services
